Blockchain Basics with Stellar
Learn blockchain fundamentals and build real-world payment solutions on the Stellar network. No prior blockchain experience required.
What You'll Learn
Blockchain Fundamentals
Understand distributed ledgers, consensus mechanisms, and how blockchain enables trust without intermediaries.
Stellar Network Architecture
Explore accounts, assets, anchors, and the Stellar Consensus Protocol that powers fast, low-cost transactions.
Building Transactions
Create, sign, and submit transactions on Stellar's testnet using the JavaScript SDK.
Real-World Use Cases
Discover how Stellar enables cross-border payments, remittances, and tokenization of real-world assets.
Smart Contracts Basics
Learn about Soroban smart contracts and simple programmable transactions on Stellar.
Hands-On Project
Build a payment application that transfers assets and performs path payments across currencies.
Course Curriculum
Week 1Introduction to Blockchain & Distributed Ledgers▼
- •What is blockchain and why it matters
- •From traditional databases to distributed ledgers
- •Cryptographic foundations: hashing, signatures, and keys
- •Consensus mechanisms: Proof of Work vs. Byzantine Agreement
- •Lab: Setting up your development environment
Week 2The Stellar Network: Architecture & Consensus▼
- •History and vision of Stellar
- •Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP) explained
- •Accounts, assets, and the Lumen (XLM)
- •Anchors and the bridge to traditional finance
- •Lab: Creating your first Stellar account on testnet
Week 3Building on Stellar: Transactions & Operations▼
- •Understanding transactions, operations, and the Stellar SDK
- •Payment operations: sending and receiving assets
- •Trustlines and issuing custom assets
- •Path payments: currency conversion in one step
- •Lab: Build a multi-currency payment app
Week 4Smart Contracts & Real-World Applications▼
- •Introduction to Soroban smart contracts
- •Multi-signature accounts and conditional payments
- •Use cases: remittances, tokenization, and DeFi
- •Security best practices and common pitfalls
- •Final project: Cross-border payment application
Prerequisites
This course is designed for beginners, but you'll get the most out of it if you have:
- →Basic programming knowledge (JavaScript preferred but not required)
- →Familiarity with the command line
- →Curiosity about decentralized systems and financial technology
No prior blockchain experience needed—we'll cover all the fundamentals from scratch.
Tools & Technologies
Your Instructor
SM Web Systems Team
Our team of blockchain developers and educators brings years of experience building production applications on Stellar. We've worked with enterprises and startups to implement real-world payment solutions, and we're passionate about making blockchain accessible to everyone.
This course distills our hands-on expertise into a beginner-friendly learning path designed to get you building fast.
Earn Your Certificate
Complete all labs and the final project to receive a verified certificate of completion that you can share on LinkedIn or add to your resume.